Vivian Berrey Willardson

Logan, Utah: Vivian Berrey Willardson passed away on Monday, July 12, 2010 of causes incident to age. Vivian was born on August 11, 1926 to Alice Bradley Russell (Ali B.) and William Eugene Berrey in Provo, Utah. She was named after her parents’ favorite picnic spot, Vivian Park in Provo Canyon. She was the oldest of three daughters.
Vivian attended public schools in Provo. She graduated from Provo High School in 1944. She liked school and particularly enjoyed English and home economics classes. Her love of English prompted her to be nicknamed “Grammar” by her father because she was always correcting him. Inspired by a favorite teacher, Vivian attended Utah State Agricultural College (now Utah State University) in Logan, Utah and received a bachelor’s degree in home economics in 1948.
During Vivian’s senior year at USAC, she went to Ephraim, Utah, to complete her student teaching. There she met an Ephraim native, Lyman Sessions Willardson, who became her husband on October 8, 1948 in Evanston, Wyoming. They were sealed in the Manti LDS Temple on December 28, 1948.
Vivian taught home economics at Manti High School for one year. Although she only taught school for one year, she continued to teach throughout her life. She taught many homemaking night classes, gave cooking demonstrations for church and civic groups, and taught in Logan City Schools’ Continuing Education Program. Some of the classes she taught were South of the Border Cooking, Candy Making, Knitting, and Cake Decorating.
Vivian was a kind and devoted wife and mother of six children. She was a great support to her husband throughout his career. She followed him to Logan, Utah; the Dominican Republic; Honduras; Puerto Rico; Columbus, Ohio; and Brawley, California. She also traveled to many other places in the world with her husband on his consulting assignments. After attending college in Logan, she always felt it was her true home. She gladly moved back permanently in 1974.
Vivian was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She served in many capacities. Although she did not like serving as president of anything, she willingly accepted the callings she received, including Primary and Relief Society president and counselor. She also served as a teacher in Primary, Sunday School and the Young Women’s MIA. She also served as homemaking and inservice leader. Her favorite callings were Relief Society Cultural Refinement teacher and nursery leader. She served outside the church in the PTA and as vice president of the Engineering Wives’ Club.
Vivian had many talents. She was best known for her cooking. She made up many recipes and wrote a cookbook entitled Welcome to My Kitchen. She made chocolates every year to give as Christmas gifts. Her husband always said that he had eaten all over the world, but had never tasted food as good as hers. She also had many artistic talents. She made beautiful porcelain flowers and dolls. She did oil and china painting. She sewed well and kept herself and her children stylishly dressed. She also liked to knit, and made sweaters for her children and grandchildren. She decorated cakes. She made wedding cakes for most of the girls in her ward as wedding gifts. She also liked to read, and grow flowers.
Vivian was preceded in death by her husband, parents, and a sister, Barbara J. Goode. She is survived by her six children: Lyman William (Polly) of Payson, UT; Kathleen Alder (Richard) of Ogden, UT; Timothy (Janet) of Logan, UT; Mark of Hackensack, NJ; Paul of Salt Lake City, UT; and Laura Huffman (J. Mark) of North Logan, UT. She is also survived by 14 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren and a sister, JoAnn Evans of Overland Park, KS.
The family wishes to thank the staff at Legacy House of Logan for their compassionate care of Vivian in the final four years of her life. Thanks also to Alpine Hospice for their kind and excellent service.
A viewing will be held Saturday July 17, 2010 at 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the Allen-Hall Mortuary, 34 E. Center in Logan, Utah. The funeral services will follow in the same location at 11:00 a.m.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.allenmortuaries.net